System and method for registration of an electronic device

ABSTRACT

A method for registering an electronic device includes receiving from a point-of-sale interface a transaction code and purchaser information associated with a purchase of an electronic device. While the transaction code is associated with the purchase of the electronic device, it does not uniquely identify the electronic device purchased. The method also includes receiving from the electronic device the transaction code and a device identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device. The purchaser information and the device identifier are associated via the transaction code for registering the electronic device.

BACKGROUND

Consumers have the flexibility to purchase electronic devices in thecomfort of their homes by logging on to any one of hundreds of onlineretailers, selecting an electronic device, and providing paymentinformation, such as a credit card number, to the retailer to purchasethe electronic device. For those who prefer to see and hold theelectronic device or who do not have access to online retailers, theoption of visiting a store to purchase the electronic device istypically available. In either instance, the consumer eventuallyreceives the electronic device and is typically asked to register with amanufacturer of the device. The registration process usually requiresthe purchaser to complete and mail back to the manufacturer a postcardthat includes registration information, e.g., the purchaser's name andaddress, and the device's serial number and model number. Alternatively,the purchaser can log on to a registration webpage provided by themanufacturer and provide the registration information.

For manufacturers and purchasers, device registration is an importantand useful process. By registering the device, the purchaser can receivefrom the manufacturer upgrades, recall notices, safety warnings, andother pertinent information related to the device. In addition, if thepurchaser has questions regarding the device, the manufacturer canquickly determine the make and model of the device and provide promptcustomer support. The manufacturer can easily determine whether adefective device is under warranty based on the registration informationand also can develop cross-selling strategies to increase its salesrevenue.

Nevertheless, for a number of reasons, purchasers frequently do not takethe time to register their devices with manufacturers. For instance,some purchasers are reluctant to provide personal information for fearthat the information will be misappropriated, e.g., sold to third partyvendors. Some purchasers are simply too busy to register. As a result,the manufacturer cannot track the device to the purchaser and cannotprovide beneficial information and services to the purchaser, and thepurchaser cannot receive upgrades and information related to the device.In many cases, warranties on the devices are not activated.

Several processes have been implemented to try to improve the rate ofdevice registration. Some processes focus on device registration at thepoint-of-sale, e.g., the store, when the device is purchased. Forexample, some manufacturers provide barcodes on each electronic devicethat identify the make/model and serial number of the device so that anemployee of the retail store can scan the barcodes when the device ispurchased and send the registration information to the manufacturer.These processes, however, can be cumbersome and time-consuming becausethe employee is required to locate the barcodes, which are often on thedevice itself inside of packaging. In this case, the employee mustremove the device from its packaging before he or she can scan thebarcodes.

Moreover, these processes are not generally feasible for onlineretailers, particularly for those retailers who serve as generaldistributors or clearinghouses for several other retailers. In thisinstance, the online retailer typically facilitates the onlinetransaction, and then hours, or more commonly, days later, the device isdelivered from a warehouse to the purchaser. The online retailer doesnot have physical access to the device purchased, and thereforecollecting the registration information at the point-of-sale isvirtually impossible.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, methods and systems for registering an electronic deviceare described. According to one exemplary embodiment, a method forregistering an electronic device includes receiving from a point-of-saleinterface a transaction code and purchaser information associated with apurchase of an electronic device. While the transaction code isassociated with the purchase of the electronic device, it does notuniquely identify the electronic device purchased. The method alsoincludes receiving from the electronic device the transaction code and adevice identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device. Thepurchaser information and the device identifier are associated via thetransaction code for registering the electronic device.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a method for registering anelectronic device includes receiving a transaction code associated witha purchase of an electronic device that does not uniquely identify theelectronic device. The transaction code correlates purchaser informationwith the purchase of the electronic device. The transaction code and adevice identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device is sentfrom the electronic device to a registration server system forassociating the purchaser information with the device identifier via thetransaction code to register the electronic device.

According to another exemplary embodiment, a system for registering anelectronic device includes a server system that includes a networkinterface for communicating over a network and a registration servicemodule. The registration service module is configured to receive from apoint-of-sale interface a transaction code and purchaser informationassociated with a purchase of an electronic device. While thetransaction code is associated with the purchase, it does not uniquelyidentify the electronic device purchased. The registration servicemodule is also configured to receive from the electronic device thetransaction code and a device identifier uniquely identifying theelectronic device, and to associate the purchaser information with thedevice identifier via the transaction code for registering theelectronic device.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment, an electronic deviceincludes a user interface for allowing a purchaser to enter atransaction code associated with a purchase of an electronic device thatdoes not uniquely identify the electronic device and a device correlatorcomponent configured to create a message that includes the transactioncode and a device identifier uniquely identifying the electronic device.The electronic device also includes a communication interface forestablishing a network connection between the electronic device and aregistration server system and for sending the message to theregistration server system, wherein purchaser information is associatedwith the device identifier via the transaction code to register theelectronic device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings provide visual representations which will beused to more fully describe the representative embodiments disclosedhere and can be used by those skilled in the art to better understandthem and their inherent advantages. In these drawings, like referencenumerals identify corresponding elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system forregistering an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary point-of-saleaccording to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary electronic deviceaccording to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary registration serversystem according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process forregistering an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment;and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary retailer accordingto another exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various aspects will now be described in connection with exemplaryembodiments, including certain aspects described in terms of sequencesof actions that can be performed by elements of a computing device orsystem. For example, it will be recognized that in each of theembodiments, at least some of the various actions can be performed byspecialized circuits or circuitry (e.g., discrete and/or integratedlogic gates interconnected to perform a specialized function), byprogram instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by acombination of both. Thus, the various aspects can be embodied in manydifferent forms, and all such forms are contemplated to be within thescope of what is described.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a transaction code associated witha purchase of an electronic device is used to register the electronicdevice. In one embodiment, when an electronic device is purchased eitherin person or online, the retailer retrieves information related to thepurchaser, e.g., the purchaser's name, billing address, and credit cardnumber, and associates a transaction code with the purchase and thepurchaser information. The transaction code is associated with thepurchase and notably does not uniquely identify the electronic devicepurchased. The retailer then issues the transaction code to thepurchaser of the electronic device. At a later time, e.g., when thepurchaser uses the electronic device for the first time, the purchasercan register the device by entering the transaction code into theelectronic device. The electronic device then automatically sends thetransaction code and a device identifier to a registration serversystem, which then uses the transaction code to correlate the deviceidentifier with the purchaser information received from the retailer.

In this manner, device registration is significantly simplified andstreamlined. For the purchaser, the purchaser need only enter thetransaction code and is not required to manually fill out and returnpostcards or go to web pages to submit personal information. For theretailer, the purchaser's personal information is normally retrievedwhen the purchaser uses a credit card or other electronic means topurchase the device. The transaction code can be any random alphanumericpattern and because the transaction code is not uniquely associated withthe device, the retailer need not correlate the transaction code with aunique device identifier, e.g., the serial number. By simplifying theregistration process in this way, more purchasers will be encouraged toregister their devices.

FIG. 1 is block diagram illustrating an exemplary system for registeringan electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. The system100 includes a retailer 200 (also referred to as a “point-of-sale”), aplurality of electronic devices 300, and a registration server system400. The retailer 200, devices 300, and registration server 400 arecommunicatively coupled by a network 110, such as the internet. Theretailer or point-of-sale (POS) 200 is an entity from which a purchaser310 purchases an electronic device 300. In one embodiment, the POS 200can be a brick-and-mortar store that stocks the electronic device 300 onsite. Here, the purchaser 310 can enter the store, inspect and buy theelectronic device 300, and leave the store with the purchased electronicdevice 300. In another embodiment, the POS 200 can be a virtual, i.e.,online, store. Here, the purchaser 310 can view, select and purchase anelectronic device using a web browser on his or her home computersystem. The purchased electronic device 300 is then delivered to thepurchaser 310 via a third party distributor.

As is shown in FIG. 1, the POS 200 is typically in communication with aninformation provider 250 for providing personal information relating toa purchaser 310. For example, the information provider 250 can be abank, credit bureau, or credit card company that is capable of verifyingthe purchaser's payment information. In addition, the informationprovider 250 can be the purchaser 310 herself. The information provider250 typically stores personal information relating to the purchaser 310such as the purchaser's name, billing address and telephone number.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary POS 200 according toone embodiment. The POS 200 includes a point-of-sale interface 210, suchas a computer check-out terminal (in a brick-and-mortar store), or a webserver for an online retailer. The POS interface 210 includes means forcommunicating with the information provider 250 and for communicatingwith the registration server system 400 over the network 110. Forexample, the POS interface 210 can include a network/communicationinterface 240 for communicating with the information provider 250 andfor establishing a network connection between the POS 200 and theregistration server system 400.

In an exemplary embodiment, the POS interface 210 includes memory 220for storing a plurality of transaction codes 222. Each transaction code222 is different and can comprise a random arrangement of alphanumericcharacters. In one embodiment, the transaction code 222 can includeinformation about the POS 200, such as its location and name. Forexample, the transaction code 222 can include a prefix that identifiesthe POS 200 and its location. In addition, or alternatively, thetransaction code 222 can include a prefix that identifies date and/ortime information for the transaction. In one implementation, thetransaction code 222 and memory 220 can be located remotely from thepoint-of-sale interface 210 and retrieved via the network 110 or a localarea network (not shown) as needed.

The POS interface 210 also includes a transaction correlation module 230that is configured to retrieve a transaction code 222 from memory 220when a purchaser 310 buys an electronic device 300. The transaction code222 is associated with the purchase of the electronic device 300 and isprovided to the purchaser 310 in connection with the purchase. In oneembodiment, the transaction correlation module 230 can print thetransaction code 222 on a receipt and provide the receipt to thepurchaser 310. In another embodiment, the transaction correlation module230 can place the transaction code 222 in a confirmation email orwebpage sent to the purchaser 310 to confirm the purchase.

In addition, the transaction correlation module 230 is configured toretrieve personal information relating to the purchaser 310 of theelectronic device 300, such as the purchaser's name, billing address andtelephone number from the information provider 250. This personalinformation, referred to as purchaser information 252, is then linked tothe transaction code 222 to form a transaction code/purchaserinformation pair 232. In an exemplary embodiment, the transactioncorrelation module 230 is configured to form a message that includes thetransaction code/purchaser information pair 232 and optionally a date ofpurchase and/or other transaction-related information, and to send themessage to the registration server system 400 via the network 110.

As stated above, the purchaser 310 receives the transaction code 222associated with the purchase of the electronic device 300 in connectionwith the purchase. In one exemplary embodiment, the purchaser 310 canuse the transaction code 222 to register the electronic device 300.Referring again to FIG. 1, the electronic device 300 can be a PDA, amobile telephone, a digital camera, a desktop or laptop computer, andthe like. Some devices 300 can be network enabled such that the device300 is configured to connect directly to the network 110. Other devices300 can communicate over the network 110 by connecting to a networkenabled device 300, e.g., via a USB cable. For example, as is shown inFIG. 1, the digital camera 300 a can be configured to connect to anetwork enabled laptop computer 300 b in order to connect to the network110. According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 300 canbe used to send the transaction code 222 to the registration serversystem 400 to register the electronic device 300.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary electronic device300 according to one embodiment. The electronic device 300 includes ameans for receiving the transaction code 222 associated with thepurchase of the electronic device. For example, the electronic device300 can provide a user interface 312 that prompts the purchaser 310 toenter the transaction code 222 using a data entry mechanism (not shown),such as a keypad or a touchpad. In one embodiment, the user interface312 prompts the purchaser 310 for the transaction code 222 when thepurchaser 310 initializes the electronic device or when the purchaser310 uses the device for the first time, and may prevent or limit furtheruse until the transaction code 222 is entered. In another embodiment,the user interface 312 can remind the purchaser 310 to enter thetransaction code 222 periodically until the transaction code 222 isentered.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 300 furtherincludes a means for linking the transaction code 222 with a deviceidentifier 322 that uniquely identifies the electronic device 300 andfor forming a transaction code/device identifier pair 332. For example,the electronic device 300 can include a device correlator component 330that is configured to receive the transaction code 222 from the userinterface 312 and to associate it with the device identifier 322. In oneembodiment, the device identifier 322 is stored in a storage mechanism320, such as nonvolatile programmable memory commonly used to storesystem configuration settings and the like. The device correlatorcomponent 230 is configured to retrieve automatically the deviceidentifier 322 from the storage mechanism 320 and to create a messagethat includes the transaction code/device identifier pair 332. In oneimplementation, the device identifier 322 can be received from a uservia the user interface 312.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 300 includesa means for sending the message that includes the transactioncode/device identifier pair 332 to the registration server system 400.For example, the electronic device 300 can include anetwork/communication interface 340 for establishing a networkconnection between the electronic device 300 and the registration serversystem 400 for sending transaction code/device identifier pair 332 tothe registration server system 400.

In an exemplary embodiment, the registration server system 400 receivesthe transaction code/device identifier pair 332 from the electronicdevice 300 and the transaction code/purchaser information pair 232 fromthe POS 200 via the network 110. The registration server system 400 thenuses the transaction code 222 to associate the purchaser information 252with the device identifier 322, thereby registering the electronicdevice 300.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary registration serversystem 400 according to one embodiment. The registration server system400 comprises a server 410 that comprises means for receiving messagesthat include the transaction code/device identifier pair 332 and thetransaction code/purchaser information pair 232 from the electronicdevice 300 and POS 200, respectively. For example, the server 410 caninclude a network/communication interface 440 for establishing a networkconnection between the server 410 and the electronic device 300 and POS200.

The server 410 also includes a means for associating the purchaserinformation 252 with the device identifier 322 via the transaction code222. For example, the server 410 can include a registration servicemodule 430 that is configured to receive and parse the transactioncode/device identifier pair 332 and the transaction code/purchaserinformation pair 232 and to form a device identifier/purchaserinformation pair 432. In one embodiment, the registration service module430 can store at least one of the pairs 232, 332, 432 in a data storagemechanism 420, such as a database, coupled to the server 410 so that theregistration service module 430 can retrieve any pair 232, 332, 432 asneeded or upon request.

In one embodiment, after the device identifier/purchaser informationpair 432 is formed and the electronic device 300 is registered, theregistration service module 430 can remove the transaction code pairs232, 332 from the database 420 and return the transaction code 222 tothe POS 200 so that the transaction code 222 can be reused for anotherpurchase. Because the transaction code 222 can be recycled after theelectronic device 300 is registered, fewer total transaction codes 222are needed. Thus, unlike a serial number for an electronic device, thetransaction code 222 can contain fewer characters and can be lesscomplicated. For example, if a POS 200 processes 1000 transactions perweek, and the average registration period is one week, then the POS 200might need approximately 1000 different transaction codes 222. In thisscenario, the transaction code 222 may only need to be three characterslong for a purely numeric transaction code 222, or two characters longfor a purely alphabetic (upper and lower case) or for an alphanumerictransaction code 222, thus making it easier for the purchaser 310 toenter it into the electronic device 300. Of course longer transactioncodes 222 can be employed nevertheless to provide extended registrationperiods or simply to lessen the likelihood of incorrect registrations.

Although not shown in FIG. 4, the registration server system 400 caninclude more than one server 410. In an exemplary embodiment, theregistration server system 400 can include a server 410 that acts as anindependent registration authority that processes registrations for aplurality of manufacturers 130 (FIG. 1). In this case, the server 410can be configured to send the device identifier/purchaser informationpair 430 to a manufacturer 130 of the electronic device 300 so that themanufacturer 130 can register the device 300. In another embodiment, theregistration server system 400 can include a server 410 that is managedby the manufacturer 130 such that the server 410 is used to registerdevices 300 produced by the manufacturer 130. In this case, the deviceidentifier/purchaser information pair 432 can be stored in the database420.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process forregistering an electronic device 300 according to one embodiment.Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the exemplary process begins at the POS 200where the transaction code is provided to the purchaser 310 when anelectronic device 300 is purchased (block 500). As stated above, thetransaction code 222 can be provided to the purchaser 310 in a number ofways, including but not limited to, printing the transaction code 222 ona paper receipt that is given to the purchaser 310, serving a webpagewith the transaction code 222 to the purchaser's web browser, or sendingan email with the transaction code 222 to the purchaser's email address.

In an exemplary embodiment, the POS 200 also retrieves or collectspurchaser information 252 from the information provider 250 andassociates the purchaser information 252 with the transaction code 222(block 502). In one embodiment, the purchaser information 252 can beretrieved from a financial institution, such as a credit card company orbank when the purchaser 310 uses a credit card or personal check to buythe electronic device 300. In addition, or alternatively, the purchaserinformation 252 can be provided directly by the purchaser 310. Once thepurchase is complete, the POS 200 can send, via the network 110, thepurchaser information 252 and the associated transaction code 222 to theregistration server system 400 (block 504), where it is received andstored (block 510).

In the meantime, the purchaser 310 has received the transaction code 222in connection with the purchase. To register the electronic device 300,the purchaser, or any user, can enter the transaction code 222 into theelectronic device 300 via the user interface 312. Accordingly, at thedevice, the transaction code 222 is received via the user interface 312(block 506). In one embodiment, the purchaser 310 is required to enterthe transaction code 222 while using the electronic device 300 for afirst time, i.e., during device initialization. In this case, the userinterface 312 can prompt the user to enter the transaction code 222 inorder to initialize the electronic device 300. In another embodiment,the user interface 312 can give the user the option of entering thetransaction code 222 when the electronic device 300 is used and canremind the user periodically until the transaction code 222 is receivedfrom the user.

After the transaction code 222 is received via the user interface 312,the device correlator component 330 can automatically send thetransaction code 222 and the device identifier 322 to the registrationserver system 400 via the network 110 (block 508). Here, the deviceidentifier 322 can be retrieved from the storage mechanism 320 or canalternatively be received from the user. In one embodiment, the devicecorrelator component 330 creates a message that includes the transactioncode 222 and the device identifier 322, uses the network/communicationinterface 340 to establish a network connection between the electronicdevice 300 and the registration server system 400, and sends the messageto the registration server system 400 over the network connection. Inanother embodiment, the network/communication interface 340 isconfigured to establish a communication channel between the electronicdevice 300 and another computer system that is capable of connecting tothe network 110, and the computer system is used to establish thenetwork connection between the electronic device 300 and theregistration server system 400. In this case, the electronic device 300can store the transaction code/device identifier pair 332 and send pair332 when a network connection is established.

At the registration server system 400, the server 410 receives andstores the transaction code/purchaser information pair 232 (block 510)in connection with the purchase. When the server 410 receives thetransaction code/device identifier pair 332 from the electronic device300 (block 512), it retrieves the corresponding transactioncode/purchaser information pair from storage 420 and associates thedevice identifier 322 with the purchaser information 252 to register thedevice 300 (block 514). In one embodiment, the deviceidentifier/purchaser information pair 432 can be sent to a manufacturer130 (block 516) for registration, and/or stored in the database 420.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for registering anelectronic device according to another exemplary embodiment. In thisembodiment, the POS 200 provides the transaction code 222 to thepurchaser 310 in connection with the purchase (block 600), retrieves orcollects purchaser information 252 from the information provider 250 andassociates the purchaser information 252 with the transaction code 222(block 602). Instead of sending the purchaser information 252 with thetransaction code 222 to the registration server system 400 in connectionwith the purchase, however, the POS 200 stores the transactioncode/purchaser information pair 232 in memory 220 (block 604), and waitsfor a request 450 for the purchaser information 252 from theregistration server system 400 (block 606).

In the meantime, the purchaser 310 has received the transaction code 222in connection with the purchase. To register the electronic device 300,the purchaser, or any user, can enter the transaction code 222 into theelectronic device 300 via the user interface 312. Accordingly, at thedevice, the transaction code 222 is received via the user interface 312(block 610). After the user enters the transaction code 222, the devicecorrelator component 330 can automatically send the transaction code 222and the device identifier 322 to the registration server system 400 viathe network 110 (block 612). Here again, the device identifier 322 canbe retrieved from the storage mechanism 320 or can alternatively bereceived from the user.

According to this exemplary embodiment, at the registration serversystem 400, the server 410 receives and stores the transactioncode/device identifier pair 332 (block 614), and sends a request 450that includes the transaction code 222 for the purchaser information 252associated with the transaction code 222 to the POS 200 (block 616). Inthis embodiment, the transaction code 222 can include a prefix thatidentifies the POS 200 and its location. When the POS receives therequest 450 (block 606), the POS 200 retrieves and sends the transactioncode/purchaser information pair 232 to the registration server system400 (block 608).

When the registration server system 400 receives the transactioncode/purchaser information pair 232 from the POS 200 (block 618), itretrieves the corresponding transaction code/device identifier 232 pairfrom storage 420 and associates the device identifier 322 with thepurchaser information 252 to register the device 300 (block 620). Inthis manner, the purchaser information 252 is not released to theregistration server system 400 until the purchaser 310 elects toregister the electronic device 300, thereby protecting the purchaser'sprivacy.

The executable instructions of a computer program as illustrated in FIG.5 and FIG. 6 can be embodied in any computer readable medium for use byor in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice, such as a computer based system, processor containing system, orother system that can fetch the instructions from the instructionexecution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions.

As used here, a “computer readable medium” can be any means that cancontain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for useby or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice. The computer readable medium can be, for example, but notlimited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared,or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium.

More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablemedium can include the following: a wired network connection andassociated transmission medium, such as an ETHERNET transmission system,a wireless network connection and associated transmission medium, suchas an IEEE 802.11(a), (b), or (g) or a BLUETOOTH transmission system, awide-area network (WAN), a local-area network (LAN), the Internet, anintranet, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), aread only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc (CD), aportable digital video disc (DVD), and the like.

According to the exemplary embodiments, a registration server system 400uses a transaction code 222 to correlate an electronic device 300 with apurchaser 310 to register the electronic device 300. The transactioncode 222 is associated with a purchase of an electronic device 300 anddoes not uniquely identify the electronic device purchased. Thepurchaser 310 receives the transaction code 222 from the POS 200 inconnection with the purchase, and when prompted, can enter it into theelectronic device 300. The electronic device 300 is configured toreceive the transaction code 222 and send the transaction code 222 andits device identifier 322 automatically to the registration serversystem 400. In the meantime, the POS 200 is configured to associate thetransaction code 222 with purchaser information 252 and to send thetransaction code 222 and purchaser information 252 to the registrationserver system 400. The registration server system 400 uses thetransaction code 222 to correlate the device identifier 322 with thepurchaser information 252 to register the electronic device 300.

According to the exemplary embodiments, the purchaser 310 is notrequired to provide any information other than the transaction code 222to the registration server system 400. Thus, the registration processtakes little time and effort on the part of the purchaser 310, therebymotivating the purchaser 310 to register the device 300. The effort bythe POS 200 is also minimal because the POS 200 ordinarily collects thepurchaser information 252 as a normal part of the business transaction.Thus, the POS 200 does not suffer by supporting the registrationprocess. Overall, because the registration process is simplified forboth the POS 200 and purchaser 310, more purchasers 310 will beencouraged to register their devices 300.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that theconcepts and techniques described here can be embodied in variousspecific forms without departing from the essential characteristicsthereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are considered in allrespects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of theinvention is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoingdescription, and all changes that come within the meaning and range ofequivalence thereof are intended to be embraced.

1. A method for registering an electronic device, the method comprising:receiving from a point-of-sale interface a transaction code andpurchaser information associated with a purchase of an electronicdevice, wherein the transaction code does not uniquely identify theelectronic device purchased; receiving from the electronic device thetransaction code and a device identifier uniquely identifying theelectronic device; and associating the purchaser information with thedevice identifier via the transaction code for registering theelectronic device.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving thetransaction code from the point-of-sale interface includes receiving amessage including the transaction code and the purchaser informationover a network.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving thetransaction code from the electronic device includes receiving a messageincluding the transaction code and the device identifier over a network.4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: storing the transactioncode and the purchaser information in a record after receiving thetransaction code from the point-of-sale interface; deleting the recordafter associating the purchaser information with the device identifier;and returning the transaction code to the point-of-sale interface suchthat the transaction code can be reused for another purchase of anelectronic device.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: sendingthe purchaser information and the associated device identifier to amanufacturer of the electronic device so that the electronic device canbe registered at the manufacturer.
 6. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising sending a request including the transaction code to thepoint-of-sale interface for the purchaser information after receivingthe transaction code and device identifier from the electronic deviceand before receiving the transaction code from the point-of-saleinterface.
 7. A method for allowing a purchaser to register anelectronic device, the method comprising: receiving a transaction codeassociated with a purchase of an electronic device that does notuniquely identify the electronic device, wherein a purchaser of theelectronic device has associated purchaser information; sending thetransaction code and a device identifier uniquely identifying theelectronic device from the electronic device to a registration server;and associating the purchaser information with the device identifier viathe transaction code to register the electronic device.
 8. The method ofclaim 7 wherein receiving the transaction code includes providing a userinterface for receiving the transaction code in the electronic device.9. The method of claim 8 wherein providing the user interface includesprompting the purchaser to enter the transaction code via the userinterface during a device activation process.
 10. The method of claim 8wherein providing the user interface includes prompting the purchaser toenter the transaction code periodically until the transaction code isreceived.
 11. The method of claim 8 further comprising limitingoperation of the device until the transaction code is received.
 12. Themethod of claim 7 wherein sending the transaction code and the deviceidentifier includes establishing a network connection between theelectronic device and the registration server system and sending thetransaction code and the device identifier over the network connection.13. The method of claim 12 wherein establishing the network connectionincludes coupling the electronic device to a network-enabled device. 14.The method of claim 7 wherein the device identifier is stored in theelectronic device.
 15. A system for registering an electronic device,the system comprising: means for receiving from a point-of-saleinterface a transaction code and purchaser information associated with apurchase of an electronic device, wherein the transaction code does notuniquely identify the electronic device purchased; means for receivingfrom the electronic device the transaction code and a device identifieruniquely identifying the electronic device; and means for associatingthe purchaser information with the device identifier via the transactioncode for registering the electronic device.
 16. A system for registeringan electronic device, the system comprising: a server including: anetwork interface for communicating over a network; and a registrationservice module configured to receive from a point-of-sale interface atransaction code and purchaser information associated with a purchase ofan electronic device, wherein the transaction code does not uniquelyidentify the electronic device purchased, to receive from the electronicdevice the transaction code and a device identifier uniquely identifyingthe electronic device, and to associate the purchaser information withthe device identifier via the transaction code for registering theelectronic device.
 17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a datastorage mechanism coupled to the server for storing the transaction codein a record, and wherein the registration service module is furtherconfigured to delete the record after associating the purchaserinformation with the device identifier and to return the transactioncode to the point-of-sale interface for reuse.
 18. The system of claim16 wherein the registration service module is further configured to sendthe purchaser information and the associated device identifier to amanufacturer of the electronic device via the network interface suchthat the electronic device can be registered at the manufacturer. 19.The system of claim 16 wherein the registration service module isfurther configured to send a request including the transaction code tothe point-of-sale interface for the purchaser information afterreceiving the transaction code and device identifier from the electronicdevice and before receiving the transaction code from the point-of-saleinterface.
 20. A system including an electronic device and aregistration server, the system comprising: means for receiving atransaction code associated with a purchase of an electronic device thatdoes not uniquely identify the electronic device, wherein a purchaser ofthe electronic device has associated purchaser information; means forsending the transaction code and a device identifier uniquelyidentifying the electronic device from the electronic device to aregistration server system; and means for associating the purchaserinformation with the device identifier via the transaction code toregister the electronic device.
 21. A system including an electronicdevice and a registration server, the system comprising: a userinterface for receiving a transaction code associated with a purchase ofan electronic device that does not uniquely identify the electronicdevice; a device correlator component configured to create a messagethat includes the transaction code and a device identifier uniquelyidentifying the electronic device; a communication interface forestablishing a network connection between the electronic device and aregistration server system and for sending the message to theregistration server system; and a registration service module configuredto associate purchaser information with the device identifier via thetransaction code to register the electronic device.
 22. The device ofclaim 21 wherein the user interface is configured to prompt thepurchaser to enter the transaction code via the user interface during adevice activation process.
 23. The device of claim 21 wherein the userinterface is configured to prompt the purchaser to enter the transactioncode periodically until the transaction code is received.
 24. The deviceof claim 21 the device correlator component is configured to limitoperation of the device until the transaction code is received.
 25. Thedevice of claim 21 further comprising a storage mechanism for storingthe device identifier, wherein the device correlator component isconfigured to retrieve the device identifier from the storage mechanism.26. A computer readable medium containing program instructions forregistering an electronic device, the program instructions for:receiving from a point-of-sale interface a transaction code andpurchaser information associated with a purchase of an electronicdevice, wherein the transaction code does not uniquely identify theelectronic device purchased; receiving from the electronic device thetransaction code and a device identifier uniquely identifying theelectronic device; and associating the purchaser information with thedevice identifier via the transaction code for registering theelectronic device.
 27. A computer readable medium containing programinstructions for allowing a purchaser to register an electronic device,the program instructions for: receiving a transaction code associatedwith a purchase of an electronic device that does not uniquely identifythe electronic device, wherein a purchaser of the electronic device hasassociated purchaser information; sending the transaction code and adevice identifier uniquely identifying the electronic device from theelectronic device to a registration server system; and associating thepurchaser information with the device identifier via the transactioncode to register the electronic device.
 28. A method for registering anelectronic device, the method comprising: receiving a transaction codeassociated with a purchase of an electronic device that does notuniquely identify the electronic device; creating a registration messageincluding the transaction code and a device identifier uniquelyidentifying the electronic device, the registration message configuredto initiate a registration process including associating purchaserinformation with the device identifier via the transaction code toregister the electronic device; establishing a network connectionbetween the electronic device and a registration server system and forsending the registration message to the registration server system; andassociating purchaser information with the device identifier via thetransaction code to register the electronic device.
 29. A systemincluding an electronic device and a registration server, the systemcomprising: a user interface for receiving a transaction code associatedwith a purchase of an electronic device that does not uniquely identifythe electronic device; a device correlator component configured tocreate a registration message including the transaction code and adevice identifier uniquely identifying the electronic device, theregistration message configured to initiate a registration processincluding associating purchaser information with the device identifiervia the transaction code to register the electronic device; and acommunication interface for establishing a network connection betweenthe electronic device and a registration server system and for sendingthe registration message to the registration server system; and aregistration service module configured to associate purchaserinformation with the device identifier via the transaction code toregister the electronic device.
 30. A computer readable mediumcontaining program instructions for allowing a purchaser to register anelectronic device, the program instructions for: receiving a transactioncode associated with a purchase of an electronic device that does notuniquely identify the electronic device; creating a registration messageincluding the transaction code and a device identifier uniquelyidentifying the electronic device, the registration message configuredto initiate a registration process including associating purchaserinformation with the device identifier via the transaction code toregister the electronic device; establishing a network connectionbetween the electronic device and a registration server system and forsending the registration message to the registration server system; andassociating purchaser information with the device identifier via thetransaction code to register the electronic device.
 31. A systemincluding an electronic device and a registration server, the systemcomprising: means for receiving a transaction code associated with apurchase of an electronic device that does not uniquely identify theelectronic device; means for creating a registration message includingthe transaction code and a device identifier uniquely identifying theelectronic device, the registration message configured to initiate aregistration process including associating purchaser information withthe device identifier via the transaction code to register theelectronic device; means for establishing a network connection betweenthe electronic device and the registration server system and for sendingthe registration message to the registration server system; and meansfor associating purchaser information with the device identifier via thetransaction code to register the electronic device.